Roaring Pain
by PurpleRanger101
Summary: What will happen when a raid turns out to be deadly? Will the agents be able to overcome the odds and rescue Tara and Sue? Find out! Has J/S and B/T
1. The Case

"So here's what we know." Jack Hudson stood at the front of the room, a laser pointer in his hand, his back to a white board covered with photos and sketchy drawings. "We have a little tangle of webs. We have four victims," here he turned and pointed the laser beam at four pictures in turn but was careful not to speak until he had turned back around, "each of them a blonde woman, each of them killed a different way.

"Stacie Rodkins. Killed while out walking her dog. Looked to be strangulation. Melissa Harper. Disappeared after work, found the next day in a lake. Appeared to have drowned. Heather Campbell. We have a witness who says he saw her grabbed outside the library but the guy can't tell us any more than that. She was found later with a bullet hole between her eyes. And Beth Carter. No one knows when she was taken. Her body was found mutilated by a knife and her throat slashed."

Jack paused to let his fellow agents take in everything he had said, even though they'd heard this information over and over since the start of the case three days ago. He surveyed each one to ascertain their reactions.

His gaze traveled first to his best friend, Bobby Manning. The strong, robust Aussie's face was devoid of its usual telltale grin, instead he stared at the faces on the board, as if expecting to see the answer to the case in one of their eyes.

Then his look moved on to Myles Leland. A sometimes unapproachable and annoying man, there could be no denying that Myles took his job very seriously and could sometimes approach a problem from an unorthodox angle. Right now, Myles was chewing on the end of a pencil and had his eyes closed, apparently deep in thought.

Next he looked over to the unit's router, Lucy Dotson. Lucy was scanning anxiously through a folder, her dark face a mask of concentration. Jack knew that Lucy didn't like facing the realities of a case but that she preferred to work the paperwork end of it. He also knew that she could be counted on in a pinch to do anything the team needed.

Standing behind her was Dimitrius and that's who Jack looked at next. The only married man among them, D seemed to have a personal agenda in this one. Every woman who had been killed had been newlyweds and that seemed to hit close to home for him. Jack took D's rock-hard glare for the look that meant that the bad guys had better watch out.

Tara Williams was seated where she could always be found, behind her computer. She was poring over forensics reports, looking for the small, glossed over fact that could reveal the identity of the murderer. Tara believed that the answer was always available but it was just a matter of looking in the right places. Jack hoped she would be right.

And last, Jack's gaze traveled to the newest member of the team but one who had been with them for nearly three years, Sue Thomas. She was the reason that he never spoke when his back was turned. She was deaf and only understood what he was saying by reading his lips. As she would say, "I 

can't read the back of your head." But always having to look at her wasn't a problem for him…it gave him more opportunity to look at her, which was something he always liked. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"Hey, Sparky, you ok?" Bobby asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, just zoned out for a minute. What was the question?" Jack quickly tuned back in to the people around him.

Myles was the one who spoke up, "We were just wondering if there is anything in connection with the three murders, anything we don't know yet."

"No. The only connection we have is the killer's marking of the victims." Jack rubbed a hand across his brow.

Lucy looked up, surprised, "What marking? I haven't heard of this."

D answered her, making sure that Sue could see his lips, "Yeah, you weren't here. Each victim has been found with kiss marks all over their face. As if the killer put on lipstick and proceeded to kiss each woman repeatedly. We don't know what he may have done to them other than that. The lab is pretty sure from the autopsies that they weren't raped but…again, we don't know for sure."

"That's awful," Lucy sighed.

"Ok, Bobby, you and I are going to go follow up on Howie's lead. The rest of you keep working." Jack grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. Bobby picked up his gun, holstered it and followed.


	2. A Very Paranoid Snitch

"Is this the place, mate?" Bobbt asked Jack. They were in a very dinghy area of town and not a soul could be seen. Bobby's hand drifted towards his gun.

"This is it. Howie said that his guy would meet us here." Jack was starting to feel apprehensive about the whole thing.

Suddenly a guy lurched out of an alley and careened into Jack. The man grabbed onto the lapels of Jack's jacket to keep from falling.

"You wanna buy doughnuts?" the man asked, his words slurred.

"Not really but do you have any cakes?" Jack replied carefully. The man still hadn't let go of his jacket.

"Sure. How I do it is my business though." the man straightened up. The password had been said and now Jack and Sue knew that this was their man.

"What can you tell us about the murders?" Bobby asked.

"Not much. I don't need to tell you that I'm risking my life talking to you at all. All I know is that Melissa was kidnapped by a guy wearing a ski mask." the man paused and Jack spoke up.

"That's all you know? Thanks but we could have figured that one out on our own."

"No, that's not all. He pushed her into a gray Toyota Corolla, license plate number 334YZZ. That help?" His voice was perfect now, not slurred at all.

"Yeah. Thanks." Bobby was already turning to leave and Jack followed suit a moment later. It would be better for the snitch if they minimized the time they might be seen together.

"This just might be the big break we were waiting for." Jack muttered.

"You never know…" Bobby answered, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

XXXXXXXXXX

They arrived back at the bullpen twenty minutes later.

"Anything new?" D asked.

"How about a license plate number and the kind of car Melissa Harper was put into?" Jack asked.

"Tara, how fast can you get us that information?" Bobby asked the blonde computer whiz.

"Fifteen minutes tops." she replied, her fingers already flying over her keyboard.

"That's what I like about you, sheila," he grinned affectionately.

A tense silence filled the room after that for the next thirteen and a half minutes until Tara suddenly shouted excitedly. "I've got it! Registered to a Malcolm Ruthers. Hasn't been reported stolen and…it says the car is a Toyota corolla. I'll give you three guesses as to what color it is."

Jack asked, "You got an address for me?"

"You feel the need to ask?" Tara handed him a printout.

"Ok," Jack scanned the room. "Myles, D, Bobby you're with me. We go in and we go in hard. Lucy, have SWAT meet us there. Tara, Sue, you'll do surveillance from the van. Let's go!"

Lucy was already on the phone as the team headed out, Levi's tail wagging behind him.


	3. Raid

Jack, Bobby and three SWAT guys silently approached the front door as Myles, D and three more SWAT men entered the backyard and headed for the door.

"Tara, Sue, you guys on station?" Jack whispered into his mike.

"We're here," Sue responded. She and Tara sat in a green exterminator's van a block away, safe from all the action.

"There is one person in the house, Jack. He may be armed." Tara reported.

"On my signal," Jack whispered, "Ok, GO, GO, GO!"

Bobby launched a kick that knocked the front door of its hinges and then the search was on.


	4. Abducted!

In the van, Tara and Sue waited for an update. Suddenly, a banging came on the door of the van. Tara tapped Sue's shoulder. When the deaf woman looked at her she mouthed, "Someone at the door."

"Tara, open it! It's D!" a voice called from the other side.

"It's Dimitrius." Tara told Sue and got up to open the back door of the van. Seconds later, she reappeared…only this time with a strange man behind her and a gun in her ribs. Sue yelped and reached for her mike.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea, missy. One move and your friend here will have a bullet in the chest. Now, I want you to get up and step away from the console." the man wore a ski mask that revealed none of his features except his eyes which were hard as rock.

Slowly, Sue stood up and stepped towards the man. She glanced back at Levi who stood nearby, growling, his hackles raised. The man stepped forward and placed a sheet of paper on the seat that Sue had been sitting on. That's when Levi sprung, straight at the man, teeth bared. He never made it. The man whipped another gun out and shot the dog, causing him to crumple to the ground. Sue stepped towards the prone golden retriever but before she could, the gun swung her way and the man cocked it.

"Don't even think about it," he growled. Tara's eyes flitted nervously from the man to Sue to Levi and back to the man. The guy stretched out and kicked Levi and the dog slid out of the way and under a console. Sue racked her brains trying to find a way out but couldn't find one.

"Agents Hudson and Manning were getting a little too close to the truth. Let's see if losing whom they care for the most will make them think twice about taking me on. After you," the man hissed and motioned Sue to leave the van. Knowing that if she made a break for it, she'd likely be shot and Tara certainly would, Sue complied. As she did, she shook her wrist slightly, allowing the charm bracelet on it to slip free and tumble to the ground. As it hit, she coughed loudly to hide the noise. The man pushed her out and Tara after her. A black sedan waited behind the van. Opening the back door, he shoved both Sue and Tara inside. Before he shut the door, he raised both guns, one in each hand and slammed the butts down on their heads. Both crumpled to the seats of the car.

Sue's last thought before blackness reached out to claim her was, _I hope Jack finds us…Please, Jack…pleas…_

XXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back at the raid. Jack and Bobby had crashed through the front hallway, spotting a figure fleeing towards the back.

"Freeze, F.B.I.!" Bobby yelled, his gun sweeping from side to side.

"Freeze!" Myles shouted as he and D and their SWAT team intercepted the guy's escape.

The guy turned to go back the way he'd come, only to find Jack and Bobby blocking his way. Completely surrounded by men packing firearms and looking none too reluctant to use them, the guy simply laughed and placed his hands on his head.

A moment passed, while the agents exchanged looks that basically said 'is this guy for real?' Then, with Bobby, Myles and D covering him, Jack approached the man.

"You're under arrest for the murders of Melissa Harper, Beth Carter, Stacie Rodkins and Heather Campbell." Jack slapped handcuffs on the guy.

And then the guy spoke, "I don't care if I go to jail. My boss got what he needed thanks to me providing the diversion." After that, he lapsed into silence, a big grin splitting his face.

Bobby stepped up beside Jack and muttered, "I don't think this drongo's elevator goes all the way to the top, mate." The two stepped back and holstered their guns.

Jack nodded and handed the guy over to a SWAT member. "Tara, we got him."

No answer.

"Tara, repeat, we got him."

No answer.

Bobby spoke into his mike, "Tara, answer. We got the guy."

No answer.

Jack turned to look at Bobby, "I bet her radio is malfunctioning. Something we can rib the technological wizard about." But his tone belied his concern.

Bobby tried again, "Tara, respond." Then, "Sue, come in." He turned to look at his best friend and whispered, "Something's wrong."

Abruptly, the two wheeled and dashed from the room. They could hear footsteps behind them and knew that D and Myles found the situation just as alarming as they did and were following. Bobby and Jack practically flew the one block from the house to the van. When they arrived, Jack led the way around the side of the van. Bobby had his gun back out and was staring down it, straight ahead. Myles and D caught up and the four rounded the back to find the door ajar.

"No…" Jack moaned and, in one fluid motion, bounded up the stairs and into the seemingly empty van, Bobby right behind him.

"They're gone," Bobby's gun tracked from one side of the room to the other. "Maybe they came to find us when they realized the radios weren't working." Even to him, the idea sounded lame.

"Wait…" Jack looked at Sue's chair and the piece of paper on it. Desperate for any clue that might lead him to Sue, he reached for it.

"Jack," D grabbed his arm. "Gloves on first. In case there's fingerprints."

"Right." Jack stepped back and put on the latex gloves he always carried around and then picked up the paper lying there so out of place. Holding it in front of his face, he read it out loud.

_Dear Agents Hudson and Manning,_

_You don't know me and you never will know me. All you need to know is that I know who you are and I know that you were asking questions about me and what I was doing with four women who are now dead. And yes, I killed them. As payment for your nosiness, I am going to take that which you treasure the most. Tara Williams and Sue Thomas are now in my loving care. And there they will stay until I decide to make them blondes numbers five and six. I will kill them. If you back off of my case, I will kill them quickly. If you don't…well, let's just say that they will understand pain before they die. Nice knowing you._

_X_

Bobby brought his hand down on the console, his face a mask of hatred but with tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. "She didn't even know that I considered her more precious to me then anything. And now she's paying for it."

Jack looked as if he had been shot in the gut, "I know. Sue never knew how I felt about her and now I may not have a chance to tell her."

Suddenly, Jack seemed to lose his cool. He reared back and kicked the table as hard as he could. His reward was the screech of metal and a low whimper. He froze. "Sue?" he whispered at the same time that Bobby whispered, "Tara?"

The whimper came again. D stepped forward and dropped to his hands and knees. Looking under the console he gasped, then looked up at the other three.

"It's Levi. He needs help."


	5. Lean on Me

Myles and D rushed Levi to an emergency vet clinic while Jack and Bobby searched for clues in the van. Jack was the only one to make a worthwhile discovery. About twenty minutes into the search, Jack stumbled upon something that had been in shadows. Silvery and delicate, it was a charm bracelet.

Tears began to make their way down Jack's rugged face as he clutched the bracelet to his heart. Bobby saw him and made his way to his friend's side in two steps, his face radiating hope.

"We've got to help them, Crash," Jack's voice was hoarse.

Bobby stooped to take the bracelet out of Jack's hand and examine it but Jack refused to let go of it. Instead, he continued to speak in his hoarse voice and told Bobby what it was. "It's a charm bracelet. I gave it to Sue on her last birthday. It has a figure skater charm, a dog charm and three letters in American Sign Language-f, b, and i. It also has a heart and a key and lock charm where the key fits snugly into the lock. It is supposed to represent her-the skater because of her grace and poise, the dog just because I didn't want to leave Levi out, F.B.I because that is who she is now and the key because I feel as if she and I fit together perfectly, though she doesn't know that's why I chose the key. Bobby, she wears it everywhere. If she left it behind, she did it on purpose and she's in trouble. We've got to find them."

Bobby's face was determined, his eyes as unrelenting as cold steel. "We will, mate. We will. But for now, let's go back to the office. We'll be able to do more good from there."

The two leaned on each other as they left the van.


	6. Kidnapper's Lair

Sue awoke with a start. And with a pounding headache. She tried to focus as her groggy mind attempted to latch onto the facts of what had happened to her. Tara had…she had…the man! He'd had a gun! He'd shot Levi and kidnapped her and Tara! Sue sat bolt upright.

"Tara!" she called, knowing that she wouldn't hear a reply but hoping her friend would be close enough to touch her and let her know she was there.

"Tara!" There was no response, audible or inaudible.

_I'm going to die,_ Sue thought._ This is it._

Suddenly, a harsh light filled the tiny area that Sue was in. A figure was shoved through and Sue gasped. It was Tara, though she looked nothing like she had the last time Sue had seen her. She was clothed in a ragged evening gown that looked as if it might have been found in a dumpster and bruises and cuts covered her body. Blood was caked on her face. She fell to her knees in front of Sue and the eyes she lifted to Sue's were haunted and full of fear. Sue moved towards her but before she could reach the battered woman, the man whose name they still did not know, grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

He positioned his face so she could see his lips and said, "Nuh-uh. Now it's your turn. I'll send a message those pretty boys won't be able to ignore."

Sue desperately prayed as she was hauled from the room, _Lord, help Jack find me. Please! And Tara._ She didn't hear Tara calling her name and crying as the door was shut behind her.


	7. Video of Suffering

Jack and Bobby made a slight detour to check on Levi before returning to the bullpen. Once there, Lucy rushed forward to hug Bobby.

"Do you have any leads yet?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Nothing solid." Bobby growled.

"What are you going to do?" Lucy addressed this question to Jack.

"I'm going to go over all the evidence from the first four murders. Maybe something will stick out that didn't before. You going to join me, Bobby?"

Before Bobby could reply, Tara's computer dinged. _It's all my fault she's missing. I should have protected her. She's what's most important to me! How could this happen, _Bobby thought.

D, who had arrived moments earlier with Myles, went to see what was incoming on the computer. His face quickly lost all color.

"What? What is it?" Jack asked., anxiously.

"An email from the kidnapper. It's…a video." he answered. "Myles, start a trace, see if you can locate it while we watch it."

"Put it on the screen," Jack ordered.

The first thing they saw was a dark screen. Then, words scrolled across it. **This is what is happening now. Stop looking for me, it stops and they die. Continue looking for me and this continues, gets worse and they still die. Your choice.** The next thing to appear was a figure bound to a chair, hand and foot. The figure was clothed in what looked to have once been a gorgeous evening gown but now it was torn and ragged. Another figure walked over to the first figure and grabbed their hair, yanking their head back and revealing the identity of the person. It was Tara. A groan escaped Bobby's lips and his hand covered his face for a moment before he removed it. Tara's head lolled and then straightened as she seemed to take in her surroundings. A word formed on her lips but no audio accompanied it. Then, as they watched in stunned silence, the figure prowled around Tara's chair and then the video zoomed in on the pair. Suddenly, the figure cocked his fist and began punching the bound woman. A noise like an animal grunt came from Bobby and he strode towards the computer, fists clenched. D placed a hand on his arm and whispered, "You can't help her now. Just watch for clues." Bobby stepped back but his eyes were smoldering like hot coals. The figure stopped his punching and Tara began struggling against her bonds. It was futile. Bobby felt as if his heart was being torn in two. And then it got worse. The camera zoomed in on the side of Tara, showing her profile. Her eyes were wild and she kept mouthing the same word over and over and over. All at once, the figure was looming over her and, grabbing her hair again, he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. He kissed her soundly for a few seconds, during which Tara's eyes darted from side to side and her head jerked and jerked but she was unable to do anything and neither was Bobby who was nearly foaming at 

the mouth and was being restrained by Jack and D. Then the kidnapper began kissing her neck and her cheeks. Tara's head was jerking crazily but she couldn't get free.

"No," Bobby groaned, "No! Stop! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the kidnapper stopped. He stepped behind Tara and grinned at the camera. Then the screen went dark. Seconds later, it came back to life, in the original view of a figure bound to a chair. Only this wasn't Tara. The kidnapper proceeded to yank back the head of the figure to reveal Sue. Her eyes were covered with a blindfold.

"She can't see or hear, no…no…that'll kill her," Lucy whispered, horrified.

Jack felt his gut clench as he thought about what must be next for Sue. As he watched, Sue also kept mouthing one word over and over. But his attention was diverted from her mouth to the kidnapper's actions as the trauma started. Sure enough, it went the same way Tara's abuse had, first the punching, leaving Sue with blue-black bruises, and then the kidnapper kissed Sue again and again, ending as he had with Tara by kissing her neck and shoulders. Jack's hands were clenched into fists and for the first time, his gaze was as hard as Bobby's. Finally, text scrolled across the screen again. **Next time, I won't play so nice. You better stop searching for me.**

Then it was over. Silence fell over the office for a moment then Lucy looked at Myles, "Did you get anything?"

Myles shook his head, "No. The trace couldn't get through. I'm sorry."

Bobby slammed his fist down on his desk, "Something about that bothers me. Like they were trying to tell us something."

Jack looked at his friend in surprise, "They kept mouthing something, do you think…?"

D interjected, "But how can we tell? We don't read lips! And time is running out."

Lucy practically yelled, "Troy! Sue was teaching him to read lips! And he's really good at it!"

Jack nearly ran to the telephone in his haste to call his one and only hope.


	8. What's She Saying?

Sue had lost track of time. She and Tara sat next to each other in the tiny, cramped area. The kidnapper hadn't been back since he'd taken them to make that atrocious video. He'd left the blindfold on Sue's face so she couldn't even communicate with Tara.

Suddenly, she felt Tara's hand slide into her own. Without talking, they both took comfort from the presence of a friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxx

Troy arrived at the bullpen an hour later. Bobby, who had not stopped pacing since the video, instantly rewound the thing to Tara's bit. He reluctantly played it in slow motion so Troy could see the lips moving.

Troy's face was serious as he watched. Then, suddenly, a grin appeared.

Jack stepped in front of the deaf man and signed _**What?**_

Troy signed back _**She said B-O-B-B-Y, B-O-B-B-Y, B-O-B-B-Y**_

Myles sighed and said, "Well, she knew who'd be the most upset about it."

Quickly, Jack played the part with Sue. Troy had to watch it twice but in the end he signed to Jack what had been said. _**She said C-E-L-L C-E-L-L C-E-L-L**_

__Bobby was already moving to Sue's computer. Jack looked at him and said, "Of course! Her phone has GPS! We can pinpoint where she is!"

And five minutes later, they had a location. After calling in SWAT, Myles, D, Jack and Bobby left for an abandoned house out on McWalker Street.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The kidnapper was back. He grabbed Sue's arm and shoved her out of the room. Again, she didn't hear Tara calling after her. The kidnapper didn't speak as he shoved the terrified woman in front of him.


	9. One Down, One to Go

Jack sat in tense silence as Myles drove the twelve miles to the house. _I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to her. This is all my fault, anyway,_ he thought. He didn't know that similar thoughts were going through the head of the Australian behind him.

When they arrived a few moments later, Bobby and Jack busted down the front door as Myles and D entered through the back.

"Freeze! F.B.I.!" Jack yelled but no one answered.

A quick but thorough search of the place yielded no results. Bobby and Jack met back in the front hallway and exchanged hopeless glances. "They're not here." Bobby's words were laced with sadness.

"Something doesn't feel right," Jack mused. "Let's check again."

They checked through the house again and met in the kitchen. Bobby leaned wearily against a counter. "They're not here. We've lost them again."

"Wait. Listen." Jack had heard something.

Silence fell. And then…then they heard it. A groan and a sound like a feeble kick against a door, coming from the direction of the pantry. In two strides, Bobby was at the door. He flung it open to reveal what they'd already given a cursory glance to, on their first survey, shelves and a carpet on the floor. But this time, he looked farther. On the far side of the shelves was a small door set into the wall. Jack came abreast of Bobby and nodded. Bobby grabbed the handle of the door and yanked. Nothing happened. He pulled again. Nothing. _Lord, give me the strength to open this door, please,_ Bobby thought. Mustering all his strength, he yanked one more time and the door gave way. It swung open to reveal a small cramped room and one figure lying on the floor, dirty-blonde hair spread around her. It was Tara. Bobby fell to his knees next to her and gathered her into his arms. She looked so small, cradled in his big arms. Tears splashed onto her face but she didn't open her eyes. She looked so still.

"Sue's not here," Jack said urgently. "Tara? Tara, can you hear me?"

Tara awoke with a start. Feeling someone holding her and assuming it was the kidnapper, she began to struggle.

Bobby leaned over her and whispered softly, "Easy there, sheila, it's me, it's Bobby." Tara calmed down almost instantly and even seemed to recognize the man who held her as if she might break. Then a fear came into her eyes and she spoke in a very raspy voice, "He's got her. He's got Sue."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby stood with Tara in his arms and carried her to an ambulance waiting outside. He climbed in to ride with her but Jack stood by, worried about Sue.

D approached him. "He's still got her, D. That psycho's got her." Jack raked his fingers through his hair.

"We'll find her, buddy."

Suddenly, Myles burst out of the building, waving a scrap of paper at the two other agents. "He's an idiot, I tell you! An idiot! Look, some kind of bill to have 'the girl' delivered to this address. Isn't that out in the country?"

"It's where we're going next." Jack swung around and got into his car, barely waiting for Myles and Dimitrius before pealing out of the driveway.


	10. Death Approaches

Sue was scared. She didn't usually get scared but in this case she made an exception. With the blindfold on, she couldn't see very well but she knew she was in a moving car from all the jouncing. She also knew when they stopped as they did very shortly. Suddenly, harsh light poured in as her blindfold was removed. Sue could barely make out the man's fat, ugly lips.

"I've decided to let them have the other girl back. But I am going to kill you and I am going to kill you right now. How am I going to kill you? In a very interesting way, I promise. Now come on."

Sue was pulled roughly to her feet and made to walk in front of the man. Her hands were bound and a gun was pressing into her back. They walked into a farmhouse and up to the second floor. The kidnapper made Sue sit down on a chair and he tied her to it, hands and feet. Then he wrapped rope around her and tied it to the chair as well. Finally, he stepped back and looked at it. And then he left the room but Sue knew he'd be back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack gripped the wheel in a death grip. It would take at least ten minutes to make it to this place and that was with breaking the posted speed limit which is what Jack was doing. He began begging God to save Sue. What he didn't know was that prayers were being lifted from the two men in the car with him, from his best friend in an ambulance, a semi-conscious woman in the same ambulance, from Sue's best friend back at the bullpen and even from Ted Garrett.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

Sue cringed as the man came back into the room. This time he carried two gasoline tanks and a box of matches. He moved closer and leered.

"I've decided to burn you alive. Should be the most interesting murder yet. I'll start the fire in the other room so I have time to get out of here and so you can see your death approaching." And he was gone after he had dumped gasoline in the room around her.

Seconds later a whoosh sounded from the other room that Sue couldn't hear but she did see the kidnapper as he fled down the stairs.

_Lord, please! _She screamed the prayer in her head over and over. And…she allowed herself one shrill scream before lapsing into silence.


	11. Just When All Seems Lost

Jack screeched to a stop in the yard of a farmhouse and jumped from the car. He turned to issue orders to Myles and D.

"You guys go around the back and see if you can find anyone. If you do, radio for backup. I don't need more missing agents."

"Yes, but we're not what you treasure most." Myles commented wryly.

Jack was turning around to face the farmhouse when he heard a loud whoosh and saw sky-high flames erupting from the house.

"Well, maybe he wasn't here after all," Jack commented. And then he saw the man emerge from the house at a dead run and heard a loud scream.

"SUE!!" he shouted and took off running for the house. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Myles and D overtake the man but he was in the house now and already choking on smoke fumes. He didn't hear any more noise to give him an idea of where she was but he was willing to bet that she was where the fire had started. So he dashed up the stairs two at a time, only to find the entire upstairs hallway consumed in flames. He turned one way and then the other but didn't know which way led to Sue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Sue stared at the doorway, almost willing someone to come through it. Angel of Death maybe but she was hoping for Jack Hudson. _It's over, I'm through_, she thought when she saw flames encompass the entire hallway and begin to lick at the door. The flames were rather pretty, she thought, almost translucent. And that's when she thought she must be hallucinating as she saw a man who looked like her partner appear at the top of the stairs. And then, as he turned her way and then the other, she knew he couldn't see her. So she started yelling.

"Jack! Jack!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jack! Jack!"

The shout had come from his right. He turned to face the wall of seemingly impenetrable flames barring his way. Then…he gritted his teeth, filled his mind with images of Sue Thomas and ran. Unbearable pain and anguish filled his very core as the flames scorched burned him and then he was through. He stumbled over to Sue and saw his problem. She was wrapped in ropes and tied to a chair and the flames were already creeping into the room. What Jack didn't know was that this room was doused in diesel fuel whereas the fire had burned through the hallway on wood alone. He thought he had time. He didn't. Not knowing this, he knelt at Sue's chair and began to tear at the knots tying her. One thought was going through his head, _I will save her, I will save her._ So focused was he on this task that he didn't notice the flames surrounding them. Finally, he undid the last knot on a rather sloppy 

knot job and pulled Sue to her feet. Her eyes were wide and fearful. Jack saw instantly what she saw that made her so scared. Flames barred the entrance to the hallway and the wicked tongues of flame surrounded them on every side. The only way out was back through the flames. Glancing around, Jack spotted a raggedy blanket on the floor nearby. He snatched it up and wrapped it around Sue. Then he took off his scorched jacket and put it around her, hoping to give her some added protection. This left him exposed but he didn't care. With no other choice but to make a run for it, he looked at Sue and spoke, making sure that she could see his lips.

"I love you."

And then he picked up Sue in his arms, cradled her against his chest and rushed for the door.


	12. Waiting

D and Myles stared anxiously at the building, whose entire second story was covered in roaring, twisting flames.

"Do you think they'll make it?" Myles asked.

"They'll make it," D answered.

Just then, a loud unearthly yell came from the inside of the house. Myles shivered in spite of himself. Then, a figure emerged from the doorway.

"It's Jack!" Myles shouted.

"He's got Sue!" D yelled.

But before the two agents could reach their friend, Jack laid Sue down on the ground and then, slowly, fell to the ground next to her. When they reached him, he was unconscious. His t-shirt was burned to shreds and his skin didn't look much better. Yelling for paramedics, they didn't leave his or Sue's sides until they were transported to the hospital. Once there, Jack was taken to emergency surgery.

Twelve hours later, Sue, Tara and Bobby showed up in his room. He was silent, in a coma. Sue held his hand as she sat next to his bed.

"What all was wrong with him?" Bobby asked hesitantly. His hand clutched Tara's; he hadn't let her out of his sight since he'd found her.

"He has very severe third degree burns. He'll have scars for the rest of his life. The doctor says he's lucky to be alive. Well, he will be if he comes out of this coma." Sue's voice cracked on the last word.

Bobby gave her a squeeze. "He'll be fine, that Sparky. He can do anything."

Sue nodded absently and then resumed staring at Jack, willing him to wake up. Ten minutes later, the nurse opened the door and admitted three other people into the room. D entered first, his face belying his worry, then Myles, who was twisting his hands anxiously, and Lucy, who started crying when she saw Sue and Tara.

"Are you two ok?" Lucy asked, rushing over to give Sue a hug and then Tara.

"Yeah," Tara gave a tiny smile, but it didn't reach all the way to her eyes, "We've both got bruises but the doctor says we were lucky not to break anything. But I know that I've got emotional trauma that I'll have to work through from that creep kis-kiss-kissing me."

Her voice shook and died at the end and she began to cry softly. Lucy went to comfort her but before she could get there, Bobby had pulled her close to him and hugged her. She laid her head on his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

Lucy turned to Sue, "And you? You'll be fine?"

"Probably. But it will probably take a while too. Whenever I close my eyes, I see him coming for me…and it's not the punching and hitting that I remember." Sue's eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and sadness. Lucy put her arms around her.

"And Jack? He'll be ok?" D asked.

"If he comes out of this coma." Sue's voice was shaky.

After that, they just sat there in silence. About two hours later, Myles, D and Lucy left to go back to the office and finish up the murder case. Bobby and Tara left soon after that, though they both promised to return first thing in the morning. But Sue didn't, wouldn't leave Jack's side. Instead, she sat there, talking to him quietly.

"You'd better wake up," she said, "there's so much I have to tell you. I have to thank you."

She continued to talk to him until she fell asleep with her head resting on his hand which was clasped firmly in hers.


	13. Never Leave You

Jack felt as though he was swimming through a deep sea with only a pinprick of light at the end. Images flowed past him, images of his life, of him and Bobby, of him and Allie and then of him and Sue. Sue…Sue…he knew he needed to wake up, that Sue needed him. So he propelled himself forward, out of the darkness and into the light.

He woke up to harsh light and unbelievable agony in his entire body. A strange weight was pressing down on his hand. Looking down, his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness and he could see Sue's head resting on his hand, her blonde hair in disarray all over her face. He didn't move his hand, not wanting to wake her up.

She shifted suddenly and seemed to realize where she was. She sat up abruptly and focused in on Jack. A happy grin lit her face when she saw that he was awake.

"Jack!" she cried.

"Hey…Sue…" he croaked, his voice raspy. "How…are…you?"

"No, how are you?" Sue asked seriously.

"I…hurt…but…not…as…much…as…I…would…have…if…I…couldn't…save…you…" he murmured.

"You did save me, though, Jack. You're my hero." Sue laughed but Jack could tell the laugh was forced. The ordeal Sue had been through wouldn't be tossed away lightly.

"I should…have found you…sooner. I could have…saved you from…what he did…to you." Jack growled. Slowly, his voice was becoming easier to use.

"No, Jack, it's ok. All that matters is you found me and I'm safe here with you." Sue whispered.

"You'll…always be safe. As long…as I'm…around." Jack replied.

"And you intend to be around for a while?" Sue joked half-heartedly.

"If you'll let me…I intend to never leave…you."


	14. Three Months

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--Three Months Later--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

Jack took a deep breath as he walked towards the bullpen for the first time in three months. His limp was nearly gone but the scars still remained. His once handsome face was scarred and his arms were crisscrossed with them.

He entered the room and was greeted by cheers and whistles. He looked around at each of his friends in turn, reveling in the glory of being back.

His best friend, Bobby Manning. Sitting on the edge of Tara's desk, one hand resting on her shoulder. The two of them had been inseparable for three months. Bobby flashed a smile in Jack's direction.

"You all right there, Sparky?"

Jack nodded and looked at Tara. The computer whiz had all but gotten over her ordeal. With Bobby's help she'd been able to overcome the bad memories and trauma and was well on her way to healing.

Myles and Dimitrius were standing a little ways away from Bobby and Tara. They were clapping as Jack entered and Myles said, "Well if it isn't Home Run Hudson."

"Home Run Hudson?" Jack asked, then added, "Wait…I don't even want to know."

Lucy sat at her desk, a huge grin on her face, trying and failing to look neutral. Her infectious good humor would heal even the most hurting of souls.

And then he looked at Sue. Sue's healing had taken a little longer. Once Jack had been released from the hospital, they'd begun to date. Jack had, of course, obtained special permission from Garrett. Jack had thought she'd recovered fully from what she'd undergone but the first time he tried to kiss her, she shied away and practically ran from him. She'd had problems with Jack showing affection towards her ever since that time, like when he tried to hug or kiss her but she was slowly getting over it.

"What are you looking at?" Sue asked playfully.

"Levi." Jack replied innocently. The golden retriever, fully recovered from his bullet wound, sat at her feet, tail wagging.

Jack walked over to Sue's desk, leaned down and gave her a hug. To his surprise, she didn't stiffen or give any indication that she wasn't comfortable with this. In his ear, she whispered, "It's over. I've recovered."

Bobby catcalled and said, "Way to go, Sparky!" Then he leaned down and kissed Tara.

"Same to you, Crash. Same to you."


End file.
